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EXTENDED OPERATION/EXTREME CONDITIONS

Vibration and Cold --

It is believed that a condition called Raynaud’s Phenomenon, which affects the fingers of certain individuals may be brought about by exposure to vibration and cold. Exposure to vibration and cold may cause tingling and burning sensations followed by loss of color and numbness in the fingers. The following precautions are strongly recommended because the minimum exposure which might trigger the ailment is unknown.

•Keep your body warm, especially the head, neck, feet, ankles, hands and wrists.

•Maintain good blood circulation by performing vigorous arm exercises during frequent work breaks and also by not smoking.

•Limit the hours of operation. Try to fill each day with jobs where operating the blower or other hand-held power equipment is not required.

•If you experience discomfort, redness and swelling of the fingers followed by whitening and loss of feeling, consult your physician before further exposing yourself to cold and vibration.

Repetitive Stress Injuries --

It is believed that overusing the muscles and tendons of the fingers, hands, arms and shoulders may cause soreness, swelling, numbness, weakness and extreme pain in those areas. Certain repetitive hand activities may put you at a high risk for developing a Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI). An extreme RSI condition is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), which could occur when your wrist swells and squeezes a vital nerve that runs through the area. Some believe that prolonged exposure to vibration may contribute to CTS. CTS can cause severe pain for months or even years. To reduce the risk of RSI/CTS, do the following:

•Avoid using your wrist in a bent, extended or twisted position. Instead try to maintain a straight wrist position. Also, when grasping, use your whole hand, not just the thumb and index finger.

•Take periodic breaks to minimize repetition and rest your hands.

•Reduce the speed & force in which you do the repetitive movement.

•Do exercises to strengthen the hand and arm muscles.

•Immediately stop using all power equipment and consult a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness or pain in the fingers, hands, wrists or arms. The sooner RSI/CTS is diagnosed, the more likely permanent nerve and muscle damage can be prevented.